Aces take on Northern Kentucky on Saturday morning
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OXFORD, Ohio – After dropping the opening set by a 25-16 final, the University of Evansville volleyball team showed the heart of a champion, winning three sets in a row to improve to 7-0 with a 3-1 victory over Miami Ohio on Friday evening inside Millett Hall.
Freshman Giulia Cardona had a career match, recording 22 kills while hitting an impressive .340. She added a match-high four service aces. Alondra Vazquez tallied 17 kills in an efficient .326 hitting performance. Taya Haffner led all players with 32 assists while tying for the team lead with 11 digs. Fellow freshman Blakeley Freeman matched Haffner’s 11 digs. Madisyn Steele led the Purple Aces with four block assists.
“We knew that Miami was a good team, so when they started playing well in the first set, we got desperate and frustrated,†UE head volleyball coach Fernando Morales said. “After that, the girls did a great job of recovering and bouncing back.â€
Set 1
A late rally by the RedHawks saw them pull away for a 25-16 triumph in the first set. Evansville took an early 3-1 lead on a Vazquez ace before Miami jumped in front by a 5-4 tally. Things remained close until a late MU run proved to be the difference. Up 16-14, the RedHawks outscored the Aces by a 9-2 tally to grab a 1-0 lead. Taylor Nomanson clinched the set with an ace.
Set 2
It was another hard-fought battle early in the second frame with both teams grabbing an advantage. Miami took an 11-9 lead on a Gaby Harper service ace before Evansville responded with four in a row with two points coming from a pair of Vazquez aces. Following an MU point that cut the UE lead to 13-12, Evansville reeled off six points in a row to take control. Cardona had a pair of kills to pace the run, which would eventually lead to a 25-15 win. In total, the Aces completed the set on a 12-3 run.
Set 3
Evansville had the momentum on its side to start game three, taking an 8-2 lead. Vazquez, Melanie Feliciano and Kate Tsironis all contributed kills in the stretch. UE kept the pressure on, extending the lead to nine points at 16-7. Laura Ruiz got the job done with her serving while a pair of bad sets by the RedHawks helped the Aces pad their lead. Miami never gave up and their persistence paid off. Trailing 20-13, MU scored seven in a row with Sophie Riemersma finishing it off with three kills in a row.  Coach Morales took a time out to regroup and the strategy paid off. Cardona ended the 7-0 Miami stretch with a kill before immediately following it up with a service ace. UE would not relinquish the lead, taking a 2-1 match advantage with a 25-21 win.
Set 4
Trailing the match by a 2-1 score, Miami appeared to be in control through the opening portion of the fourth set. Their efforts led to a 12-8 lead. Vazquez had her top offensive stretch of the evening, recording four kills over a stretch of five points to put UE in front at 13-12. The RedHawks countered with a 5-1 run to go back up by three, but the Evansville attack proved to be too much. A Blakeley Freeman ace was followed by a Feliciano kill that knotted the score at 17-17. With the score tied at 18-18, Cardona took over as she posted a kill and two more aces to put her team back on top. The 17th kill of the match for Vazquez was the final point of the night as UE improved to 7-0 with a 25-20 win.
On Saturday, the Aces take on Northern Kentucky at 11 a.m. CT.
